Voluntary manslaughter for shooter

Shots rang out in the parking lot of a Gastonia night club more than a year ago.

When the crowd cleared, a man's body was riddled with bullets. He died from his injuries, and his killer was charged with first-degree murder.

Corrie Derel Odems pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a felon last week.

Making a plea offer in the case made sense, according to Gaston County Assistant District Attorney Megan Rhoden. While many people were at the Rock House Tavern the night Christopher O’Bryan Brazil was killed, not everyone saw the altercation or was willing to testify.

"We did have to make our decision based on the cooperation or lack of cooperation of eye witnesses in this case," she said.

Fatal altercation

Brazil and Odems knew each other prior to the altercation at the bar on Aberdeen Boulevard July 3, 2015.

Friends at the time did not say what led up to the violent outburst, but Odems shot the 27-year-old man three times causing five injuries. Police said Brazil was unarmed at the time of the incident.

By July 5, Odems was in Gaston County Jail charged with murder.

Brazil left behind a son, his parents and a sister.

Twenty-two years

Odems, 34, is already serving time in prison on charges out of Cleveland County.

In December, he was sentenced to eight years for larceny, a drug offense and a habitual felon designation.

He was sentenced to 14 years last week for voluntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a felon and habitual felon related to Brazil's death.

Odems will be 57 before he is eligible for release from prison.

His list of North Carolina convictions dates back to 1999 and includes offenses of communicating threats, breaking and entering, larceny and possession of a firearm by a felon for which he was served probation and prison sentences.

You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and Twitter.com/GazetteDiane.